


Spot Thinks Again

by Efstitt



Series: Catch as Catch Can [4]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:53:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21993235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Efstitt/pseuds/Efstitt
Summary: This one-shot Spot POV fits between Chapters 23 and 24 of Catch a Break If You Can. Spot, Kath, and Jack at the hospital.
Relationships: Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber
Series: Catch as Catch Can [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585561
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Spot Thinks Again

Spot knew something was wrong as soon as he’d seen Kath’s name on his phone, but knew enough about emergency rooms to know he wouldn’t need to be in a hurry. If Jack was gonna die, he’d be dead by the time Spot got there anyway. Anything else would take forever. It’s not like he had the power to do anything, anyway. He was just some guy, not a guardian.

He texted Race just to let him know what was going on, shrugged on his jacket, and headed out to the station. Sounded like Jack was still alive the way Kath was talking. Screaming. Whatever. 

Kath was still pretty huffy with him when he got there, like if he’d gotten there sooner then Jack would be in better shape. He just didn’t know what to get worked up over. Jacky got beat up? Yeah, okay. They’d patch him up and Kath would take them home, then.

He asked Kath what had happened, to get her off his case. Something about guys beating Jack up, and blood and alcohol were all over the place, with lots of broken glass. She’d seen a lot of blood on his face. Not real useful information yet. Spot guessed this was Oscar’s work somehow, with the booze involved, but sat back in his chair and watched the health tips on the tv while they waited. Good job, Conlon. They’d get to Jack one way or the other and you knew it. Jack drunk again. This kid was too much trouble.

Spot awoke when Katherine nudged him a while later. A nurse came out and headed their way. “Jack’s awake, and gave permission for us to talk to a Katherine Pulitzer? That’s you, right?” Katherine nodded, trying not to look impatient. “He said friends can come back to see him and that we can tell you what happened.”

“So what’s wrong with him?” asked Spot.

“Broken arm and possible eye trauma, but other than that just a lot of bruising. Pretty lucky for a guy beat up with a pipe, if you ask me,” he said. Great. Another broken arm.

“Was he drunk?” Spot asked. Katherine scowled at Spot. 

The nurse checked his chart as they walked back. “No. Stone cold sober,” he said. “Zero alcohol in his system. But his clothes are soaked in booze.” Spot nodded. This was Oscar then, and Jack got himself out of whatever it was they had in mind. Good, Kelly. “Here he is. Be gentle.” He pulled the curtain and gave them a moment.

Jack turned his head, his eyes covered with bloody bandages, his arm in a temporary cast. “Who’s here? Kath?” he asked hoarsely.

“Spot,” said Spot, “and Kath. Who do you want to kiss first?” Jack tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. Kath rushed forward and kissed him gently, hands hovering over his bandages. She rested her hand on his hair, matted with blood.

“I broke my other arm,” Jack said in a wheezy voice. “Fuckers got me with Oscar’s pipe. They were waiting, Spot. They had more Henny.” He stopped to cough a little, grimacing. “But I dumped it out all over them. They got a little annoyed.” He stopped to catch his breath, resting his head on the pillow again.

Katherine’s phone buzzed yet again, and she stepped into the hall. Spot leaned in to Jack. “Jacky, you okay? They say anything?” Jack grunted a ‘no,’ trying to shake his head. Good. Jack had made his cooperation more trouble than it was worth. 

Kath came back in. “My dad,” she explained apologetically. “Jack, are you hungry? Should I get something from the cafeteria?” Jack shook his head a little. “Spot?” Spot also shook his head. “I’m going to get you something anyway, you guys. I’ll be back soon. Get some rest, baby.” Jack reached for her hand and squeezed it.

Spot watched her leave, then looked back at Jack. “Good job, Jacky,” he said finally. Jack’s breaths were soft and even. Should he stay? What did people do? Social workers came and went when you were in the emergency room, trying to find someone to take you, but what did other people do? Jack would come with him, of course. So should he just come back later then? Spot wasn’t sure.

Jack tossed a little. “No,” he whispered. “Don’t...” Spot turned to listen. Jack didn’t say anything more as his head lolled to the side.

Spot stayed, and dozed in the chair nearby. He’d never liked waking up to an empty room in the hospital.

Kath returned with some food for everyone. Spot twisted around, unsure of how much he owed her and if he had enough. He took out his wallet and held it up. “How much?” he asked quietly, not wanting to wake Jack.

“Just give me five and we’ll call it even,” she said. “Sorry I took so long. I ran into a friend of my father’s and had to chat for a while. You never know if they know the doctors who will be treating Jack, so...”

Spot nodded and opened his wallet. He had four. “How about four?” He knew she was only trying to save his pride, but great day, he wished he had five bucks to throw around. How nice that Kath could pull some strings if she had to. Jeez.

She waved him off. “Just eat. We’ll worry about it later.” Spot chose a sandwich and a juice. They sat in silence for a while, eating.

“Kath, uh, I’m gonna have to go to work soon,” Spot said. “Are you gonna be able to stay with Jack?”

Katherine finished her sandwich and nodded. “I’m already in trouble with my father. I might as well stick it out and be here for the duration,” she whispered. Spot smiled appreciatively. Nice. He brushed the crumbs off of himself over the trash can.

“Mr. Kelly?” Kath, Spot, and Jack all startled at the loud voice. “Time to take a look at that eye, what do you say?” 

Jack pushed himself up, still groggy, and held still as the bandages came off, and the nurse cleaned the wounds once more. Spot hadn’t seen anything quite that gross in some time. The one eye socket was just blood and cuts. The other eye was swollen completely shut. He looked away. The doctor prodded and examined, Jack trying hard to stay still and not cry.

“It’s not good, Mr. Kelly,” boomed the doctor. “We’ll need to get some more information in the morning, but there’s not much left of that eye, I can tell you that right now. Glass bottles and eyes don’t play well together. Get some rest and we’ll see what needs to be done here in a few hours once the swelling goes down.” And he was gone. The nurse began applying fresh bandages to Jack’s face.

Jack again held still, but once the nurse was gone, he started breathing fast and hard. “Spot...”

“I’m here, kid. I’m right here. You’re gonna be okay.” Spot looked over at Katherine, feeling a little guilty that Jack had asked for him and not for her. She stayed back.

“Spot...” he repeated. “I can’t...” Spot wasn’t sure where to touch that didn’t hurt Jack. He put his hand on Jack’s leg. “I did it t-to make you p-proud, Spotty,” he stammered. “So I could h-help with Albert and Ch-charlie.” His breath heaved fast again.

Spot rubbed Jack’s leg. “I am proud, Jacky. Damn, kid, you got balls, you know that?” Jack wiped his nose with the tissue Kath put in his hand.

“Kath won’t want me,” Jack said. “I can’t never do anything right. I never have. She never been hit in her whole life, Spot, did you know that? And now I don’t got an eye?! Fucking hell, Spotty.”

Spot wasn’t quite sure how to tell Jack that Katherine was right there. He saw her look up at the corner of the room, tears in her eyes. “Jack... toughen up... you ain’t dead.”

“I thought someday I’d be able to look nice and not ever think about nothing bad ever again, you know? But now, now I gotta go around without an eye the rest of my life. Everyone will always know. They’ll know I’m trouble. I ain’t no good now. Not ever. No one’s gonna love me.” Jack grabbed at the blanket. “Kath won’t want me now.”

Spot had to get to work. He wished Jack would just go back to sleep. “Jack, kid, pull it together. You didn’t lose no arm. Kath is right here. You gotta talk to her about all this. I gotta get to work, okay? We got rent due next week. Race is coming as soon as he gets off work, okay?” Spot stood up. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Jack froze. “Okay,” he said, his voice taking on a strangled quality. “Fuck. Kath, you there?”

“I’m here, baby.” Kath pulled herself together. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Jack reached out for her, grabbing onto her hand as soon as he felt it. “I love you. You don’t gotta stay, okay? You’ve put up with enough with me. You can go. I understand, baby.” Spot lingered near the door. 

Kath took in a big breath. “I’m staying. I’m not going anywhere. You just hold my hand, okay?” She kissed his fingers and looked over at Spot. “Spot will be back soon, did you hear him?” Jack nodded, gripping her hand. He started to gasp, obviously trying not to cry, but crying anyway. Spot clenched his teeth. Kath was a good girl, but Jack had to toughen up, not fall apart, right now. Jack couldn’t lose his job now.

“Jack,” he called from the hall, “you got work tomorrow. Get them to patch you up good so you can get home, yeah?” He ignored Kath’s angry look. Spot had worked too hard for Jack to go off the rails, and no one would get in his way now. Jack couldn’t fuck up, eye or no eye.


End file.
